Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) will begin its work on soil remediation at its closed thermometer factory in Kodaikanal after the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal challenging the order of the National Green Tribunal.
The NGT had permitted the soil remediation plan submitted by HUL, which was subsequently challenged in the Supreme Court.
“The soil remediation work will commence once the other statutory approvals are obtained and the required plant and machinery for soil remediation are set up at the site,” Dev Bajpai, executive director, Legal and Corporate Affairs, HUL, said in a statement. HUL is committed to cleaning up the site adhering to the TNPCB approved soil remediation plan, he said. The Pollution Control Board had granted permission to the company to carry out remediation at the standard of 20 mg/kg, which environmental activists were opposed to and had sought a higher remediation standard.
“Over the last 17 years, independent studies have confirmed that there has been no adverse impact on the environment outside the premises of the former thermometer factory in Kodaikanal, except the contaminated soil in some areas within the factory premises which require remediation,” Mr. Bajpai said.